Borussia Dortmund have secured their first new signing of the 2023/24 season. Algeria international Ramy Bensebaini, 28, is moving to the Strobelallee from league rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach on a free transfer and signed a four-year contract on Monday.

“Ramy is a player in his prime; he has amassed a lot of national and international experience in the Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1, the Champions League and the Europa League, and on top of that he is an integral part of the national team in his homeland. We’re certain that his sporting development is not yet finished. In our talks with him, we’ve seen an absolute will to go on the attack and compete for titles with Borussia Dortmund. We’re very much looking forward to working with a player who has a good balance between defensive and attacking play,” said BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Bensebaini moved to the Lower Rhein in the summer of 2019 following spells with Lierse, Montpellier and Rennes. The left-footed defender has scored 19 goals in 95 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Bensebaini amassed eight scorer points (six goals and two assists) across his 28 appearances last season.

“I don’t need to say much about Borussia Dortmund’s pulling power. The extraordinary atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park, which pushes the team, is something that I’ve experienced myself as an opposing player,” said Ramy Bensebaini, adding: “I know what BVB are capable of and I’m sure that as a team we will build on the second half of last season. I can hardly wait to be part of BVB, compete for titles and experience this special atmosphere in Dortmund.”